


To Get to Know You

by writingfae



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Zero, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms
Genre: Dia remembers the past, Fate/Zero spoilers, Friendship, a bit angsty, emiya also spills his guts too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-17
Updated: 2019-10-21
Packaged: 2020-12-21 08:02:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21071600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingfae/pseuds/writingfae
Summary: So, I know it’s been a long while since the Valentines Day event, but the bond between Emiya (Archer) and Diarmuid kinda made me feel that they’d be good friends! So I wrote a little short story on Diarmuid finding out more about Emiya’s past.Warning for Spoilers for Fate Stay/Night and Fate Zero ahead!{Posted from my tumblr, writingfae.tumblr.com}





	1. Chapter 1

Diarmuid sat there with Archer, in a small space away from others in Chaldea, whilst discussing the memories he had gained by seeing Assassin Emiya — better known to him and Kiritsugu Emiya. Nothing had made him angrier than remembering everything that that man had put him. He was barely able to be in the same room as Kiritsugu.  
“To be honest, Archer,” Diarmuid started, “I cannot honestly believe he’s a Heroic Spirit!”  
Archer shrugged, “Well, this version of him was taken in by Alaya, made into what humanity considers a perfect hero. Based on my own experiences as a counter force guardian, it makes him more of a… half assed heroic spirit? At least that’s how I see things.”  
Internally, Archer was shaking his head at his adoptive father’s actions. He understood the threats faced in a Holy Grail War, but there was something just despicable about denying an honorable knight, who had helped them before, a fair fight and forcing him to be killed by his own hands.  
Diarmuid shook his head, “I see… thank you, and sorry for dumping all of that on you.”  
“Don’t worry,” Archer laughed. “It’s pleasant to be able to talk to another Servant like this. I’ve never had the pleasure to get along with one, at least since…”  
“Since when, if you don’t mind me asking?” Diarmuid frowned.  
There had always been something so distant about Archer, even since they had became friends. He didn’t even know the other Servant’s name! It also didn’t help that Archer had always seemed to be hurting when he thought no one was looking; he gazed off with shoulders stiffened, as if he were afraid someone more powerful than him would try to hurt those at Chaldea. He hoped that through their friendship that Archer would eventually open up to him, like Diarmuid had done before.  
And it was with that question that Archer wore his all too familiar expression, a glare with tense shoulders, warily eyeing him. “I… I’ve participated in a Holy Grail War before. As a Master, I mean.”  
Diarmuid’s eyes widened and mouth formed an “o” shape. That explained what he had meant. “Really? So you meant the Servant you had, yeah? Have you seen them?”  
Archer stiffened even more, somehow. He looked nauseated. “I… yes. Master has summoned them…”  
Diarmuid tilted his head to the side, Archer didn’t seem happy. “Did you not get along with them? Or do they not remember.”  
Archer scoffed, “No, they remember me, sort of. And we got along well. It’s just that, things didn’t end well… I ended up with more guilt than before, and them, dead.”  
Diarmuid continued to slowly talk, “Oh, so you lost them… I, why did you feel guilty?”  
“I was supposed to be her sheath,” Archer murmured. “Protect her. I failed that.”  
“You make it sound like you were more her Servant than she was yours.”  
Archer shuddered, “That’s how it was. I felt undeserving of her, like I… did many others. And I broke when I couldn’t protect her. It was the one thing I was supposed to be able to do, that I was brought up living for. To protect others, and I failed.”  
Archer leaned into his palm as Diarmuid pondered what he heard his friend say. “You sound like you were brought up to carry out someone else’s dream.”  
“Maybe I was, but that would be on myself. My adoptive father, he never forced anything on to me. Just wanted me to be happy after he found me. I took his dream because I felt like it was the least I could do.”  
Diarmuid watched his friend curl into himself, and could have sworn that he heard him mumble something about “survivors guilt.” “Why survivors guilt?” Diarmuid pressed as he crossed his arms.  
Archer shot up, as if he had been shocked, and let out a low groan. God did he really just poor everything out like that? He rubbed his face with his hands as he answered, “My adoptive father found me in the rubble of our city. Out of everyone, the thousands of people who lived there, I was the only one who survived.”  
Diarmuid tilted his head. He personally didn’t understand why Archer would have guilt over this, but he understood the thought process behind it. The ‘why was it only me, why was I the only one who was able to get out of this?’  
“I really should stop talking now.” Archer groaned as he pressed his palm to his forehead. “I…”  
“You’re not ready to talk more? That’s okay, Archer.” Diarmuid gave him a soft smile. “Everyone here has a hard past, and I’m glad you trust me enough to share some of it with me.”  
Archer blinked and gave a grateful smile back. “Thank you, I… one day I would like to tell you more. It was nice to talk to you, Diarmuid.”  
Archer got up and patted the top of Diarmuid’s head causing the dark haired Servant’s smile to widen. He enjoyed this friendship, and it made him very happy that Archer trusted him.


	2. Unfurling the past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I posted this to tumblr as well, the second and final part to the story! I hope you enjoy!

It had been a while since Archer had told Diarmuid of his past. It didn’t seem to change his behavior much, but maybe being able to talk lifted a bit of that weight off his shoulders. And it let him know that Diarmuid was always there for him to talk to, which was true. The two had grown close, and honestly Diarmuid saw him like a brother.  
Diarmuid contemplated the new Servants as he headed back to his own room. A pair of young girls, named Ilyasviel and Chloe, had arrived at Chaldea and declared Irisviel, the embodiment of the Holy Grail, and Kiritsugu as their parents. Archer had seemed to put himself as far away as possible, which was odd because he was great with kids. Jack and Nursery Rhyme loved him, and would often cling to him whenever they could. So why he avoided these two was a mystery to him. Did it have something to do with his past? Did he know them? If so, did that mean he came from modern times? Diarmuid had so many questions.  
It seems these questions would be answered, as when Diarmuid entered his room Archer was already sitting on his bed, a deep frown on his face.  
“Uh, what are you doing here?” Diarmuid wasn’t against Archer being here, he was just surprised. It wasn’t like him to just come into other people’s spaces.  
“I-uh. I wanted to talk to you, if that’s alright.” Archer glanced up. “I want to share more, if you want to listen.”  
“Always, Archer.” Diarmuid smiled as he sat down next to him.  
“I…do you ever miss your family or friends?”  
“Huh? Well, sometimes. But Fionn is here, and the other Servants make me feel welcome. But I’m sure we all get a little homesick.”  
Archer let out a bitter laugh. “It feels so odd. I never thought I’d miss them so much. Despite the fact that we never got the chance to be a family, I wish to be one with them now.”  
“Is that your wish, for the Grail?”  
“No. Someone like me has no use of such things.”  
“Then… you do know those girls, don’t you? You’re a modern hero?”  
Archer fell back onto the bed, and pressed the heel of his palms to his eyes after letting out a large sigh. “Yes, sort of. I’m not like you or the others. I’m a fake.”  
“So you say every time we spar.”  
“No, I mean I’m literally a fake Heroic Spirit. I — when I was alive I was apart of the Counter Force. Because of my deeds and behavior, humanity’s unconscious mind selected me to be a Heroic Spirit, basically. But I still wouldn’t call myself a hero. That’s just so, well let’s just say it reminds me of bad things.”  
“Huh, so you’re like Emiya then? How odd, you’re so different.”  
“Hm, I guess that’s not the first time I’ve heard that. Though I guess he didn’t want me to turn out like hi- oh shit.”  
“Huh?”  
The two stared at each other in silence before t clicked. “Oh my god, you’re his son! You-you’re an Emiya?!”  
As Diarmuid attempted to stand, Archer —no Emiya — pulled him back down.  
“Quiet!” He hissed. “I don’t want any more people knowing this! Let alone him or his family!”  
“Emiya, you’re his family, his son! Why wouldn’t you want him to know?”  
“Because I’m not his biological son, idiot. He adopted me. After-after the incident.”  
Oh, Diarmuid had forgotten that. “Wait, you said your city exploded. I can’t particularly recall any city exploding during or before our Holy Grail War.”  
“That’s because it happened after you died. The Grail — Kirei corrupted it. It destroyed a good chunk of Fuyuki, in the area I lived in. It claimed five hundred lives, including that of my biological parents, not that I remember anything that happened before I was found.”  
“You don’t remember anything?”  
“Before the age of, like, six? No, not at all. Hell, I don’t even know what my name was. I just go by what Dad, Kiritsugu, named me. Or so I think. A lot of my memories have gotten blurry as the years have gone by. I traveled so much as a Counter Force Guardian. I think that’s evident by all of my weapons.”  
“Okay, but why don’t you go and tell them that you’re Kiritsugu’s son? I’m sure that they won’t care that you’re adopted.”  
“I… wouldn’t that just be improper? None of them have any commitment to me.”  
“You sure about that? Because you only started to avoid them after Ilya and Chloe came to Chaldea.”  
“I-look, they probably don’t even know who I am. If Ilya was able to live a happy life, with no Holy Grail War, then who’s to say she knows of me?”  
“Hah, so you do! Why don’t you just ask?”  
“Because the me she knows and the me I am are two completely different people.”  
“And? I’m sure she’d be happy to see her big brother.“  
“I doubt I’m who she really wants to see, Diarmuid.”  
“Well, Emiya-“  
“Hah! I told you Chloe, he is big brother!”  
The two gaped in shock as Ilya triumphantly stood in front of the door and pointed at Emiya.  
“Ugh, who cares? At least we know he’s big bro! But it’s so mean he didn’t tell us! That means you have to spoil us now!”  
“Huh? What?” Emiya sat in shock.  
“Come on! Lets go! You should bake us all some sweets! You know, Daddy really loves your cooking!”  
“I-I am not the older brother you know!”  
“Yeah, we can see that by your hair. But I’m sure everyone will be happy to know it’s you.” Chloe smiled. “You’re still big bro no matter what.”  
Diarmuid could only watch as the Archer Emiya was dragged off to go spend time with his family. He was glad that Emiya was able to be with his family, to be happy. Though he couldn’t help but wonder what his first name was, it was going to get confusing real fast with two Emiyas, after all!


End file.
